Grasping hook or device for cranes and the like



Oct. 27, 194 H. J. RALSTON 2,300;37-2

GRASPING'HOOK OR DEVICE FOR CRANES'AND THE LIKE 1 Filed March '7, 1942' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I HOWARD d IQALSTO/V Oct. 27, 1942. H. J. RALSTON 2,300,372

GRASPING HOOK OR DEVICE FOR CRANES AND THE LIKE Filed March 7, 1942 2 Shets-Sheet 2 h H r a mum; nmmm F IIIEIHIII 1 HOWARD d APnzsro/v S3 I INVENTO R 1 A Patented Oct. 27, 1942 GRASPIN G HOOK OR DEVICE FOR CRANES AND THE LIKE Howard J. Ralsto-n, Munhall, Pa., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 7, 1942, Serial No. 433,795

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device or hook for grasping heavy objects, which is especially adaptable for use with cranes and the like.

In the steel industry, it is common practice to break up large pieces of scrap into smaller pieces for charging the same into furnaces. Such large pieces of scrap are generally broken up by means of a heavy weight, sometimes called a skull cracker. The weight, or skull cracker, is attached usually to the hook of a crane which lifts the weight to a point above the pile of scrap. The weight, or skull cracker, is then released and permitted to fall on the scrap material with a tremenduous force whereby the larger pieces of scrap are broken up so as to provide smaller pieces for charging into the furnaces. It is to an improved means or device, sometimes called a snap, for attaching the weight, or skull cracker, to the crane hook that the present invention relates.

Various snaps or other means have been suggested and used for attaching the weight or skull cracker to the crane hook. Most of these attaching means have been unsatisfactory for one reason or another. oftentimes, the snap or attaching device did not have a positive locking means and the snap frequently opened when the weight was lifted thereby. Furthermore, it

was usually necessary to have a workman in the vicinity of the snap or attaching device during the attaching thereof to the load, or weight. oftentimes, the snap would suddenly shift when the load was applied, thereby resulting in injury to the workman. Also, such snap or attaching device, as heretofore used, had to be actuated manually to release the load, or weight, at the proper time. That is there was no automatic means for releasing the same. Such devices were unsatisfactory and oftentimes resulted in serious injury to the workman or operator.

Such snap or attaching devices are subject to hard wear and sever shocks. In the devices heretofore used, it was necessary to replace frequently the worn parts thereof, or at times to replace the entire device. Such maintenance and replacements thereof were not only tedious but expensive, and interfered with production.

In the present invention, there is provided a snap or attaching device which is substantially automatic in its operation and has means incorporated therewith providing for such wear of the parts thereof.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved snapor attaching device, for use with cranes and the like, having means arranged therewith which automatically releases the load or weight carried thereby at the proper time.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved snap or attaching device, for use with cranes and the like, having means incorporated therewith which can be readily adjusted in case of wear, thereby eliminating excessive maintenance and replacement costs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved snap or attaching device, for

use with cranes and the like, which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and use and, at the same time, a device which is strong and rugged and one which is efilcient and effective in its use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved snap or attaching means which will automatically look when the load or weight is applied thereto, thereby eliminating the danger of injury to workmen in the vicinity thereof.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent during the course of the following specification and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings there is.shown,..

for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved snap or attaching device of my invention showing the same in its locked position while in use;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view showing in detail one of the tongs of my improved snap or attaching device;-

Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view similar to Figure 3 showing a detail view of the'other tong member of my device;

Figure 6 is a plan view showing in detail the end of the lever arm;

Figure '7 is a detail view showing the locking mechanism of my improved device;

Figure 8 is a section taken on line VIII VIII of Figure 7; and I Figure 9 is a detail view showing-the link member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved snap or attaching device of my invention comprises a pair of lever or tong members 2 and 3 which are pivotally connected to each other intermediate the lengths thereof preferably by means of a bolt or pin 4. Each of the tong members 2 and 3 has a hook-like jaw portion 5 arranged on the lower or outer end thereof which jaws are adapted to cooperate with each other in a manner hereinafter to be described. The inner edges of the extreme outer end of the jaw portions 5 are preferably rounded or beveled as at 6. The tong member 2 has arranged therewith preferably a fork-shaped shank portion 1 which extends above the pin 4 in substantially a vertical plane. There is arranged with the tong member 3 a similar shank portion 8 which is disposed preferably angularly with respect to the shank portion 1 of the tong member 2 and the vertical. It will be understood that the shank portion 8 of the tong member 3 is arranged between the forkedends of the shank portion '1 of the tong member 2 and that the pin or bolt 4 passes through aligned holes in both the shank portions 1 and 8.

Adjacent the upper end of the shank portion 1 of the tong member 2 there is arranged a lever arm 9 preferably having a slotted hole l arranged therein intermediate the length thereof and being slotted in a direction substantially longitudinally of the lever arm. There is mounted in the upper end of the shank portion I preferably a pin or a bolt l2 which extends through holes in the forked end of the shank portion and through the slotted hole 10 in the lever arm 9. It will be understood that the lever arm 9 is disposed between the forked ends of the shank portion 1 and that the pin or bolt 12 pivotally connects the lever arm to this shank portion.

In the outer end of the shank portion 8 of the tong member 3 there is mounted a pin or bolt l3 preferably having a central eccentric portion 14, as shown in Figure '7 of the drawings, which is rotatably disposed within a hole l5 arranged in the outer end of the shank portion. There is positioned at the outer end of the shank 8 preferably a split or forked link member IS with one end thereof loosely straddling the end of the shank portion and securely attached to the ends of the pin or bolt l3 on either side of the eccentric portion I4 thereof. Thus, it will be seen that the outer end of the link member I6 is pivotally attached to the upper end of the shank portion 8 by means of the pin or bolt l3. periphery of the head of the pin or bolt l3 on the outer side of the link member [6, there is arranged preferably a plurality of serrations or notches l1. There is mounted on the same side of the link member I6 preferably a locking pawl l8 having serrations or notches l9 disposed on one side thereof, which are adapted to cooperate with the serrations or notches ll of the head of the bolt 13. The pawl member I8 is held in position on the link member l6 preferably by means of a pair of cap screws 18a. By providing such an arrangement, it will be seen that the pin or bolt 13 may be adjusted by rotating the same in the end of the shank portion 8 whereby the outer end of the link member 16 is made to rotate in a prescribed are for a purpose hereinafter to be described. It will be understood that it is the purpose of the pawl IS, in cooperating with the serrations IT on the head, of the bolt I3, to lock the bolt in any desired position after the pin !3 has been rotated and the eccentric portion M of' the pin l3 has been adjusted relative to th shank 8.

The opposite end of the link member I6 is pivotally connected to the inner end of the lever arm Around the v 9 at a point between the belt l3 carried by the shank portion 8 and the bolt l2 carried by the shank portion 1, preferably by means of a pin or bolt 20. That is, the inner end of the link member I6 straddles the end of the lever arm 9 with the bolt or pin 20 passing through aligned holes so as to pivotally attach the end of the lever arm to the inner end of the link member. On the inner end of the lever arm 9 above and just beyond the pin 20, there is arranged preferably a flange or lip-like portion 2| which extends over the link member 16. There is carried by the link member 16, as at 22a, a stop member preferably in the form of an adjustable set screw or stud 22 with which the lip portion 2| of the lever arm 9 is adapted to cooperat in a manner hereinafter to be described.

There is pivotally connected to the upper end of the shank portion 1 of the tong member 2, by means of the bolt l2, preferably an eye or U- shaped member 23 for connecting the device to the hook of a crane or th like. The major part of the lever arm 9 extends to the left of the pivotal connection at the pin I2 at the upper end of the shank portion 1, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The improved snap or attaching device of my invention operates in the following manner. The device is first positioned on the hook of a crane or other supporting means with the hook passing through the eye or U-shaped member 23, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, so that the device is held in a suspended position on the hook. The movable tong member 3 is then moved about its pivotal connection on the pin 4 by means of thelever arm 9 through the action of the link I6 and the shank portion 8 so that the hook-shaped jaw portions 5 are moved away from each other to a position as shown in the broken lines of Figure 1. The crane hook, together with the attaching device carried thereby, is then lowered so as to be positioned over the skull cracker or weight to be lifted thereby. jaw portions 5 are then closed around the eye or attaching member arranged in the skull cracker or weight so that they abut each other by lifting the lever arm 9 to its highest position, as shown in the full lines of Figure 1. After the lever arm has been moved upwardly to its highest position, it will be seen that the center of the pin 20 is moved a short distance below a straight line extending through the centers of the pin i2 carried by the shank portion 1 and the pin 13 carried by the shank portion 8, as shown at a in Figure 7 of the drawings. The distance the center of the pin 20 is disposed below the line connecting the centers of pins l2 and I3 is controlled by the set screw or stud 22, which may be adjusted to vary this distance. That is, the lip or flange portion 2| arranged on the end of the lever arm 9 abuts against the screw or stud 22 and acts as a stop when the lever arm is moved to its highest position to close the jaws.

After the jaws of the device have been closed and locked around the eye of the skull cracker or weight, as described, the same is lifted by the crane. It will be seen that as the skull cracker or weight is lifted, the eye or attaching member carried by the skull cracker or weight is disposed within the jawportions 5 and rests upon the opposed beveled or circular portions 6 on the ends of the jaws, as shown in Figure 1' of the drawings. It will be understood that a component of the weight is utilized to force the jaws apart after the device has been unlocked. This component is obtained preferably by locating The hook-shaped the contact points of the eye of the skull cracker or weight approximately of an inch from the opposed abutting faces or ends of the jaws, preferably by providing a inch radius on the end of each of the jaw portions, as shown at 6 in Figures 1, 3, and 4.

When it is desired to unlock the snap so as to release the weight or skull cracker, the outer end of the lever arm 9 is moved downwardly in any desirable manner. It is preferable that a circular member or other actuating means be arranged with the crane around the hoist cables thereof for actuating the lever arm to unlock the device. If such an actuating means is used, the lever arm 9 will strike the circular or actuating member at a point in the upward travel of the device so as to force the lever arm downwardly about its pivotal connection I2. When the lever arm is moved downwardly to unlock the device, it will be seen that the center of the pin 20 is moved above a straight line extending between the centers. It will be understood, however, that the elongated hole It) in the lever arm 9 permits a limited longitudinal movement of the lever arm 9 on the pin I2 before the movable tong member 3 is moved about its pivotal connection at pin 4 to an unlocked position. That is, the elongated hole in the lever arm permits the ends of the jaws to remain in abutting relation and in their closed position while further movement of the lever arm beyond the unlocking position occurs. By providing such a construction, it will be seen that a small interval of time is provided between the time the lever arm moves the tong member 3 and before the skull cracker or weight becomes effective to move the jaw portions 5 apart due to the wedging action of the eye of the weight against the beveled or circular portions 6 of the jaw portions.

After the pin 26 has moved above the straight line extending between the centers of pins I2 and I3, it will be seen that the weight then forces the jaw portions 5 apart and the weight falls therefrom.

When the device or snap is in its locked position and the center of the pin 20 is disposed below a straight line connecting the centers of pins I2 and I3, as shown in Figure '7, it will be seen that the lever arm is maintained in its upper or highest position, due to the action of the movable tong member 3 which tends to be moved about its pivotal connection at 4 so as to open the same by means of the weight or skull cracker suspended therefrom. That is, the weight or skull cracker bears on the beveled or circular portion 6 of the jaw portion 5 of the tong member 3 thereby tending to move the tong member 3 about the pin 4, and the link member I6 tends to lock the lever arm in its upper position, due to the cooperation of the pin or set screw 22 and the flange portion 2I of the lever arm. Also, when the snap or device is in its locked position, tension provided by the resistance of movement of the shank portion 8 of the movable tong member 3 tends to keep the arm in a locked position and prevents the pin 20 from passing above a line connecting the centers of pins I2 and I3. Such tension is provided by the jaw faces contacting immediately before the pin 20 passes below the line connecting these centers and the full locking position is attained, as shown in Figure '7. That is, the eccentric portion I4 of the pin I3 moves the link member outwardly upon rotation thereof on the end of the shank ance is encountered substantially at the time all three centers of the pins, namely, the pins I2, 2|], and I3, are in alignment with each other and are on a straight line extending through these centers. The pin or bolt I3 may be adjusted for wear in the link member I6 and the shank portion 8 by removing the cap screws I9 and the locking pawl 22 and turning the pin or bolt I3 so that it is disposed in the desirable position in the end of the shank portion. The bolt I3 is then looked in position by replacing the locking pawl 22 on the link member and replacing the cap screws I9. It will be understood that the serrated edge I9 of the pawl cooperates with the serrated portion IT on the head of the pin or bolt I3 so as to prevent movement of the pin relative to the link member I6.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided a snap or attaching de. vice which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and use and, at the same time, a device which is substantially automatic in its operation. It will also be seen that the parts of the device may be adjusted so as to compensate for any wear to which they might be subjected.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like comprising a pair of tonglike members pivotally attached to each other intermediate the lengths thereof, said tong-like members having opposed hook-like jaw portions arranged on one end thereof which are adapted to cooperate with each other to grasp the article to be lifted thereby and having a shank portion arranged on each beyond its pivotal connection, a lever member pivo'tally attached intermediate the length thereof to the shank portion of one of said tong-like members, a link member having one end thereof pivotally connected to the shank portion of the other tong-like member, said link member having the opposite end thereof pivotally connected to the end of said lever member, said lever member upon movement thereof being adapted to move one of said tong-like members about the pivotal connection so that the hooklike jaw portion carried thereby is moved relative to th hook-like jaw portion carried by the other tong-like member whereby said jaw portions are opened and closed thereby, and means for connecting the shank portion of one of said tong-like members to a crane hook or other supporting means.

2. A device of the class described for use with a crane and the like, as defined in claim 1, including means for limiting any further movement of the lever member beyond a predetermined position when the lever member is actuated to close the hook-like jaw portions.

3. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like comprising a pair of tong-like members pivotally attached to each other inter- 'mediate the length thereof, said tong-like members having opposed hook-like jaw portions arranged on one end thereof which are adapted to cooperate with each other to grasp the article to portion'8, so that the highest amount of resistbe lifted thereby and having a shank portion arranged on each beyond. its pivotal connection, a. lever member having a slotted hole arranged therethrough intermediate the length thereof and extending substantially longitudinally thereof, a pin arrangedv through the shank portion of one of said tong-like members, said pin being arranged through the slotted opening of said lever member whereby the same is pivotally attached to said shank portion, a link member having oneend thereof pivotally connected to the shank portion of the other tong-like member, said link member having the opposite end thereof pivotally connected to the end of said lever member, said lever member upon movement thereof being adapted to move one of said tong-like members about the pivotal connection so that the hook-like jaw portion carried thereby is moved relative to the hook-like jaw portion carried by the other tong-like member whereby said jaw portions are opened and closed thereby, and means for connecting the shank portion of one of said tong-like members to a crane hook or other supporting means.

4. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like comprising a pair of tonglike members pivotally attached to each other intermediate the lengths thereof, said tong-like members having opposed hook-like jaw portions arranged on one end thereof which are adapted to cooperate with each other to grasp the article to be lifted thereby and having a shank portion arranged on each beyond its pivotal connection, a lever member pivotally attached intermediate the length thereof to the shank portion of one of said tong-like members, a link member having one end thereof pivotally connected to the end of said lever member, an eccentric pin arranged through the shank portion of the other tong-like member for connecting the other end of the link member thereto, said lever member upon movement thereof being adapted tomove one of said tong-like members about the pivotal connection so that the hook-like jaw portion carried thereby is moved relative to the hook-like jaw portion carried by the other tong-like member whereby said jaw portions are opened and closed thereby, and means for connecting the shank'portion of one of said tong-like members to a crane hook or other supporting means. I

5. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like comprising a pair of tonglike members pivotally attached to each other intermediate the lengths thereof, said tong-like members having opposed hook-like jaw portions arranged on one end thereof which are adapted to cooperate with each other to grasp the article to be lifted thereby and having a shank portion arranged on each beyond its pivotal connection, a lever member having a slotted hole arranged therethrough intermediate the length thereof and extending substantially longitudinally thereof, a pin arranged through the shank portion of one of said tong-like members, said pin being arranged. through the slotted opening of said lever member whereby the same is pivotally at tached. to said shank portion, a link member having one end thereof pivotally connected to the end of said lever arm, an eccentric pin arranged through the shank portion of the other tong-like-member for connecting the other end of the link member thereto, said lever member upon movement thereof being adapted to move one of said tong-like members about the pivotal connection so-that the hook-like jaw portion carried thereby is moved relative tothe hook-like jaw portion carried by the other tong-like member whereby said jaw portions are opened and closed thereby, and means for connecting the shank portion of one of said tong-like members toa crane hook or other supporting means.

6. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like, as defined in claim 5, including adjustable means for limiting any further movement of the lever member beyond a predetermined position when the lever member is actuated to close the hook-like jaw portions.

7. A device. of the class described for use with cranes and the like, as defined in claim 5, including means for adjusting and locking the position of the eccentric pin.

8. A device of the class described for use with cranes and the like comprising a pair of tonglike members pivotally attached to each other intermediate the length thereof, said tong-like members having opposed hook-like portions arranged on the lower ends thereof which are adapted to cooperate with each other to grasp the article to be lifted thereby and having shank portions arranged on each above the pivotal connection, one of the shank portions extending substantially vertically directly above the pivotal connection,.means for connecting said vertically extending shank portion to a crane hook or other supporting means, a lever arm pivotally connected intermediate the length thereof to said vertically extending shank portion adjacent the upper end thereof, said shank portion of the other tong-like member being arranged angularly relative to the vertical and the shank portion carried by the first mentioned tong-like membena link member having one end thereof pivotally connected to said angularly arranged shank portion adjacent the outer end thereof with the opposite end of said link member being pivotally attached to the end of said lever arm, said lever arm upon movement thereof being adapted to move the tong-like members about their pivotal connection whereby the jaw portion of one of said tong-like members is moved relative to the jaw portion carried by the other tong-like member whereby the jaw portions are opened and closed thereby, said jaw portions being adapted to be closed and in abutting relation to each other when the lever arm and link member are substantially in alignmentwith each other.

HOWARD J. RALSTON. 

